NEW YORK, Jan. 28, 2013 /PRNewswire/ — New York City florist and plant nursery Plant Shed New York Flowers will donate 10% of profits this month to the Eugene Zitwer Foundation, a not-for-profit organization run entirely by volunteers that provides entertainment, toys, and special events to pediatric patients in New York area hospitals. The Foundation has also refurbished hospital pediatric playrooms, funded medical procedures, arranged and staffed extended playroom hours, put on holiday programs, and furnished video libraries and equipment.
Plant Shed has run similar promotions recently. The Foundation's current President, Mary Zitwer Millman, has been a loyal customer of Plant Shed for many of the 30 years the flower shop has been open on the upper west side of Manhattan. In October, Mary walked into her favorite florist and noticed signs advertising a promotion with the Greater New York City Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure: Plant Shed was donating 5% of their revenue for that month. Seeing this promotion, Mary approached Plant Shed about getting involved with the Uncle Yuddy Fund (an affectionate nickname for the Foundation), and the plans were underway. The Eugene Zitwer Foundation was a perfect candidate for the NYC Florist to work with. Beneficiaries of Plant Shed's philanthropic efforts have often been children; Plant Shed frequently donates plants and flower arrangements to charity auctions for New York City public schools. Many of the arrangements are designed by Plant Shed's high-end event and wedding flowers division, In Bloom New York, featured in publications such as New York Magazine and Bridal Guide Magazine.
What is most amazing is that this NYC florist finds the time to run these promotions. Plant Shed's store is enormous – actually, it's the largest flower shop and plant nursery in Manhattan. All of the walls are covered with a wide variety of flowers and plants that spill out onto West 96th St. In addition to flora, there is an entire floor devoted to clay and earthenware pots, and other accessories. Inside, there are usually many shoppers, and between them and employees bustling through to move flowers to and fro, and fulfill online orders that continue coming in, the store is a beehive of activity. When asked how it's possible to keep track of charitable programs on top of all this, Plant Shed's president simply says, "We make it work. We'll always continue to make it work. It's another reason to get up in the morning. In a city that moves twice as fast like New York, it's twice as important to stop and smell the roses."
If you have never been to the Plant Shed New York Flowers store, it's worth a trip just to walk through it- and there's still time to make a purchase that will benefit the Eugene Zitwer Foundation and the pediatric patients they do so much wonderful work for.
Media Contact:
Leslie Laster
212-662-4400